Pennfield Man Charged With Theft of Vehicles, Assault

The RCMP has charged a 21-year-old man in connection with an alleged knife assault and the theft of two vehicles in the Pennfield, N.B. area.

On Wednesday evening, the St. George RCMP received a report of a pickup truck stolen near Pennfield. Sgt. Chris Henderson said patrols were made but the stolen truck was not located at that time.

Shortly before 10:30 a.m. Thursday, police responded to a call of the theft of another vehicle from a convenience store on Highway 785 in Utopia. The owner of the vehicle followed the suspect in a vehicle with another person.

Police say the suspect lost control of the vehicle and went off the road. When the vehicle owner and the other person approached, the suspect allegedly made threats and brandished a knife before fleeing into a wooded area. No one was injured.

Later that day, RCMP arrested 21-year-old Jude Morton from Pennfield, N.B., in the woods off Highway 785 in Utopia. Both stolen vehicles were recovered, Sgt. Henderson said.

Morton appeared in Saint John Provincial Court on Friday and was charged with uttering threats, possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, assault with a weapon and two counts of motor vehicle theft. He was remanded into custody for a five-day psychiatric evaluation. Morton is scheduled to appear in Saint John Provincial Court on August 2.

RCMP Police Dog Services and the Emergency Response Team helped to locate the suspect. Conservation Officers from the Department of Justice and Public Safety also provided assistance.